Perplexity vs. Google AI Mode: Which is Better for Productivity and Research?

The search landscape today has fundamentally shifted from static link lists to conversational AI experiences.

The conversational search engine Perplexity, which launched in August 2022, has millions of users seeking research-focused search with transparent citations and academic-style answers.

In March 2025, Google announced the launch of AI Mode as its response to Perplexity. Though it’s still in the experimental phase, it’s garnering positive reviews from early adopters.

So, between these two (Perplexity vs. Google AI Mode), where one is built for AI and the other retrofitted with it, which one delivers better results for your search queries?

Let’s compare both feature-wise and also see how they perform for the same query. We’ll also tell you about a third tool you might prefer over both of these!

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What Is Perplexity? 

Perplexity is an AI-powered search and answer engine that provides direct answers to your queries with citations to the original sources. It combines several advanced language models (GPT-4, Claude, and others) with real-time web searches. 

Unlike traditional search engines that return a list of website links, it delivers summarized, properly-attributed answers in a conversational style

With Perplexity, you can run searches across live internet content or uploaded files. The tool combines the conversational capabilities of an AI chatbot with the in-depth research functionality of LLM search engines, allowing you to explore complex, layered queries in a natural, back-and-forth conversation. 

Perplexity features

The strength of Perplexity AI lies in its ability to bridge casual curiosity and serious research. It adopts a knowledge-based intelligent search discovery approach to give users contextual answers from across the web. 

Here are the features that make Perplexity a standout:  

Feature #1: Deep Research mode

Perplexity’s Deep Research mode is designed for advanced, expert-level research, going far beyond its usual quick Q&A experience. As you can see, when you ask Perplexity a question, it doesn’t stop at pulling top-ranked results. 

For example, when prompted, “Tell me the difference between a context-enhanced prompt and an instructional prompt”, it takes 2-4 minutes, conducts dozens of searches, reads hundreds of sources, evaluates their credibility, and synthesizes them into a structured report. 

This makes it useful for complex subjects like finance, marketing, technology, health, or current affairs—areas where a surface-level summary isn’t enough. 

Free Perplexity account users can run up to three such queries a day, while Pro users get 500 Deep Research queries daily. 

How does Deep Research mode work? Here’s a quick breakdown:

Feature #2: Labs

Perplexity Pro users can work with Labs from the mode selector in the input bar. 

Backed by extensive research and analysis, Labs invests 10 minutes or longer and uses additional tools like advanced file generation and mini-app creation. 

You give detailed instructions for the same question, and it gives you in-depth answers. 

It can craft a wide range of deliverables, including reports, spreadsheets, interactive dashboards, presentations, mini-apps, and even simple web applications using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Feature #3: Comet

Comet is Perplexity AI’s built-in AI-powered browser. It combines search and task execution directly into your browsing experience.

Using agentic AI, Comet understands the context of the page you’re viewing, whether it’s a Reddit thread, YouTube video, or recipe site, and allows you to perform actions (there and then) without making you switch tabs.

Comet integrates with enterprise applications for greater workflow efficiency. For example, its Gmail integration lets you summarize email threads, while Calendar connectivity helps you schedule meetings and coordinate across time zones. 

You can ask Comet to complete entire tasks through natural conversation. For instance, ask it to put together an Instacart for a roast chicken recipe, and it will automatically add all the necessary ingredients to your cart.

This workflow automation makes Comet fundamentally different from traditional browsers like Google.

Perplexity pricing

• Perplexity: Free
• Perplexity Pro: $20/month
• Perplexity Enterprise: $40/month per seat

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What Is Google AI Mode? 

Google AI Mode is an experimental feature built into Google Search. With this feature, Google aims to reshape search into a smart, chat-like experience where users can obtain in-depth answers to their questions in a conversational format, rather than traditional lists.

Google AI Mode leverages Gemini models to deliver an end‑to‑end AI search experience while drawing information from its massive internal data and live web content. 

However, this feature is still in its infancy and is available only in selected countries. It may occasionally struggle to synthesize information, and in such cases, it reroutes you directly to the standard Google search results.

Google AI Mode features 

Here’s how Google AI mode integrates AI capabilities in search to offer a cohesive research experience.

Feature #1: Advanced reasoning 

Google AI Mode harnesses the power of Gemini 2.5 Pro to handle complex multi-part queries that require logical progression and contextual understanding. Think, reasoning tasks, mathematical problems, financial analysis, and coding queries that go far beyond simple search results.

Let’s take the same prompt we used with Perplexity: “Tell me the difference between a context-enhanced prompt and an instructional prompt.”

AI Mode provides a comparison table along with example prompts. Then, on deeper questioning, it also gives you a summary along with links to where it sourced this information. 

Another standout aspect is the forums, where you can explore technical discussions on the topic. 

Feature #2: Multimodel input 

Your searches can start with text, voice, or an image. You can even pick up from where you left off through the AI Mode history. 

For example, if you are working on a DIY project, you can point your camera at a broken faucet and ask, “How do I fix this leak?” The AI will analyze what it sees and guide you through the repair process step-by-step while you work.

You can then ask follow-up questions or request clarifications about what you’re viewing. The AI understands both the visual context and conversation history.

It also provides links to relevant websites, videos, and forums for deeper exploration.

Feature #3: Agentic AI 

Google’s agentic AI feature enables the system to perform real-world tasks on behalf of users rather than simply providing information.

It can automate processes like buying event tickets, making restaurant reservations, or booking appointments by researching options and even completing purchases via Google Pay, all while keeping users in control.

The new feature, Business Calling, contacts local businesses to gather information and compile the responses into a concise AI summary. This way, users can compare services without making multiple calls or visiting several websites.

However, this capability is only available to users in the United States with higher usage limits for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers.

Google AI Mode Pricing

• Free wherever it is currently available

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Perplexity vs. Google AI Mode: Features Compared 

Both Perplexity and Google AI Mode replace traditional search with their conversational AI-powered experiences.

While Perplexity operates as a dedicated AI search platform that prioritizes research depth and source transparency, Google AI Mode integrates advanced AI capabilities directly into the world’s most-used search engine.

Let’s break down how Perplexity vs. Google AI Mode compares across core features.

But first, here’s a quick overview for you: 

Feature #1: Research organization

Perplexity AI offers dedicated collaboration hubs called Spaces where teams can organize research, threads (individual search conversations), and files around a specific project or topic.

They are personalized knowledge hubs designed to enhance collaboration. Within each Space, you can set custom instructions or preferred AI models and invite collaborators as viewers or contributors.

Google AI Mode lets you organize information over multiple sessions through Canvas. The live sticky workspace of Canvas is useful for saving notes, drafts, and snippets while you research. It works best for single-session or short-term projects, but lacks deeper project structuring and integration with team workflows.

*Canvas is available only on desktop browsers and in a select few countries. 

Feature #2: Citations and source handling

When comparing Perplexity AI and Google AI Mode in terms of citations, we see that they both offer them, but with some differences.

Perplexity offers inline sentence-level citations. Every claim or paragraph in a Perplexity answer is tagged with footnotes linking to the exact source page it came from. 

In Deep Research mode, it pulls from dozens of sources and cross-verifies them, then includes all the links at the end of the report.

If you need to prove where the information came from, Perplexity works fine. 

Google AI Mode also shows source links, but they are below the answer. It does not offer sentence-level attribution.

It is suitable for quick overviews, but not ideal for workflows that require direct evidence trails or documented provenance.

Feature #3: Integrations and ecosystem

Perplexity offers integrations through its API and browser extensions, but operates primarily as a standalone research platform. 

With the launch of Comet, Perplexity now allows users to perform tasks directly within the web pages they’re viewing, such as summarizing a Reddit discussion, extracting data from an article, or even creating shopping lists without leaving the page.

Google AI Mode, however, integrates with the Google ecosystem, including Gmail, Google Drive, Google Pay, and YouTube. This deep integration creates a unified experience where your research insights flow directly into your existing Google Workspace. 

Meaning, you won’t need to switch between multiple platforms or lose context during complex research sessions.

Feature #4: Search methodology

Perplexity AI interprets the nuances of your query using large language models (LLMs) and then performs real‑time searches across a diverse set of web sources. 

It crawls the internet as you search, pulling in fresh results instead of relying solely on a pre‑indexed database. Perplexity cuts through SEO spam and advertising noise to give you cleaner, unbiased answers.

Google AI Mode works on top of Google’s massive indexed search database and Knowledge Graph. It uses AI to summarize results and link them to Maps, Images, Shopping, and other Google services. While it’s fast and extremely comprehensive, you’ll still see a ton of commercial influence in its replies.

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Perplexity vs. Google AI Mode on Reddit

To conclude the debate, we took it to Reddit. While there are no specific threads, here are some user opinions on both tools. 

Most users agree that Perplexity offers consistently relevant (reliable) answers about news, events, and web search in general. However, when it comes to deep research, the enthusiasm is muted: 

We also analyzed the sentiments of Perplexity Pro users to see what paying customers think of it. According to a user: 

Between Perplexity and Google, users have started replacing Google with Perplexity for major research and complex queries, and only resort to Google for gathering local data and contact information. 

Google AI Mode, however, is still new and has few reviews. One user was unclear how it differs from Gemini and why someone would go to AI Mode when ChatGPT or Perplexity does the same thing. 

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Meet ClickUp—The Best Alternative to Perplexity Vs. Google AI Mode

Both Perplexity and Google AI Mode provide answers to your queries with their comprehensive search capabilities. However, both these tools operate in isolation from your broader work ecosystem.

They can’t collaborate with your team on findings, integrate research into ongoing projects, or maintain organizational context across complex workflows.

ClickUp, the everyday app for work, changes this equation. It consolidates everything from research and document collaboration to goal setting and automation into a single, customizable platform.

Here’s how ClickUp bridges the gap between finding information and executing on it:

ClickUp’s One Up #1: ClickUp Brain

ClickUp Brain is ClickUp’s integrated native AI, capable of understanding your specific workflow patterns. It adds contextual work intelligence that standalone search tools cannot match.

One of Brain’s biggest advantages is multimodel access. Within a single interface, you can tap into the most capable large language models, including ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini (the same AI that powers Google AI Mode).

You no longer need to jump between separate AI tools depending on query complexity or the type of insight you need.

But ClickUp Brain’s autonomous capabilities go far beyond simply answering questions. It moves seamlessly from research to execution, embedding AI‑generated insights directly into your projects.

Here’s how ClickUp Brain adds value beyond search:

• Contextual document management: Creates detailed reports and presentations using your workspace data and research insights, and stores them in ClickUp Docs
• Task builder: Turns research findings into detailed, assignable ClickUp Tasks with Dependencies so every aspect between research and execution remains traceable
• Smart project creation: Converts brainstorming sessions into structured project plans with timelines and resource allocation mapped out automatically
• Intelligent team coordination: Assigns new research-related tasks to the right people based on their expertise and current workload, keeping work balanced and efficient
• Custom agent creation: Lets you design specialized AI assistants for recurring workflows, such as competitive analysis or content drafting, without writing code

Consider a content creator researching sustainable fashion trends. While Perplexity might provide excellent source citations and Google AI Mode offers comprehensive market data, ClickUp Brain takes the additional step of creating content calendars, assigning research tasks to team members, and generating editorial briefs (without leaving the platform).

To know more about how ClickUp’s AI assistant boosts your productivity by 10X, watch this video. 

🌟 Bonus: ClickUp Brain MAX takes Brain’s contextual intelligence further with voice-to-text input. Instead of typing prompts, just speak, and Brain instantly transcribes and understands. Capture fleeting thoughts during meetings, research calls, or on the go.

At the same time, Brain MAX links your queries to real-time, contextual search across all your ClickUp tasks, docs, whiteboards, and chat threads. That means the answers it returns aren’t generic—they’re grounded in your actual work data.

This combination of natural input and connected context makes Brain MAX feel more like an active teammate than a passive search bar—bridging the gap between knowledge capture and execution inside ClickUp.

ClickUp’s One Up #2: ClickUp Enterprise Search

ClickUp’s Enterprise Search combines Connected, Deep, and Intranet search to give you a single, powerful search experience. 

It can pull results from the web, your ClickUp workspace (tasks, documents, comments, chats, meetings), and connected third-party applications (Google Drive, Notion, Slack, Gmail, etc.).

This gives you highly contextual and actionable results that neither Perplexity nor Google AI Mode can match within a work environment.

Here’s how this enterprise search tool adds value through multiple dimensions:

• Cross-platform reach: Finds content across your workspace and external tools without repeating the same search in different places
• Context-aware search: Surfaces results tied to the project you’re working on, so you can connect research directly to action
• Deep retrieval: Unearths older tasks, archived files, or past conversations that normal search tools overlook
• Permission-aware results: Keeps sensitive information secure by only revealing information you have access to
• Actionable insights: Transforms search results into immediate workflow actions rather than passive information consumption

ClickUp’s Answer Agents operate inside this unified search environment to combine external research with your internal knowledge base, automatically connecting discoveries to live workstreams.

ClickUp One Up #3: ClickUp Knowledge Management

ClickUp’s Knowledge Management creates searchable, centralized knowledge hubs where research findings and project documentation coexist. Everything that your team needs to make informed decisions is organized in one place and connected to the work it supports.

Here’s how ClickUp Knowledge Management helps:

• Generates knowledge automatically: Uses ClickUp Brain and AI Assistants to create wikis and process guides directly from project data and research findings
• Connects documentation to work: Links research reports and strategy documents directly to the tasks they support
• Automates information routing: Lets you set up ClickUp Automations for relevant actions when certain triggers happen, e.g., updating an SOP when a process changes or sending a newly completed research summary to stakeholders
• Supports AI Assistants for workflows: Lets you create custom AI Agents that specialize in tasks like drafting reports, compiling market research, or generating SOPs without coding
• Maintains version accuracy: Offers version control and secured access to files

Here’s a little deep dive into how Brain integrates with ClickUp Knowledge Management

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Connect Your Research to Real Work With ClickUp

Perplexity and Google AI Mode redefine traditional search experiences with their contextual understanding and natural follow-up capabilities. Both tools excel at surfacing information from across the web with proper citations and reasoning capabilities. But finding great information is only half the battle.

You also need to turn those insights into actual work. ClickUp solves that by letting you research with any LLM model, collaborate with your team on findings, and execute projects within the same workspace.

Its unified platform eliminates Work Sprawl and removes the friction between discovery and delivery that keeps most research stuck in documents. 

Sign up for free now and turn your research projects into real results.

Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.

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